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South Ayrshire | Ayr | Castle | ★★

[Greenan Castle]

Several centuries ago it must have been every family's dream to have a residence in a place like this. Greenan Castle's clifftop location makes it the ultimate defensive stronghold... until it succumbs to wave erosion, anyway. The current tower house was probably built early in the 14th century for Thomas Davidson, with his family having been given the land decades earlier by John, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles. Originally the door would have been at first floor level but later upgrades included a ground-floor entrance. The castle has lain in ruins for the last couple of centuries at least, adding drama to what is basically the southern tip of Ayr's town beach. The best views are probably from beach level (especially in morning light, and hopefully not at high tide), but you can get up close and personal by following a track along the cliffs: more info below.

[Beach view]

📌Greenan Castle ★★By the coast, west side of Doonfoot, 3 miles southwest of Ayr town centre, G.R.: NS 312193 ///fence.royal.golden
Always open |FreeAnything else? From the beach car park at G.R.: NS 317193 ///ending.bring.happen the easiest way to see the castle is to walk west along the beach (10-min walk), though this may be impassable at high tide. To get a close-up view, walk west along Greenan Road beyond the end of the houses. This becomes a country lane - follow an informal path (slightly overgrown in summer) right along a field boundary once level with the castle (10-min walk in total).

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